Las Vegas: Recreation
Sightseeing
Most people visit Las Vegas to see shows featuring world-famous entertainers and to try their luck at the gaming tables. But the city offers much more to see and do. The
East of the city, Lake Mead National Recreation area boasts 500 miles of scenic shoreline created when the Hoover Dam was constructed. Located 30 miles southeast of the city is Hoover Dam, the tallest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere. The popular site draws about one million visitors annually to its tourist center while millions more drive over it. Only 15 miles west of Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon, where a 13-mile scenic route winds through a natural landscape inhabited by wild burros and bighorn sheep; hikers and bicyclists can also enjoy 30 miles of trails. Some 40 miles north, the Valley of Fire State Park contains beautiful desert land, rock formations, and rock drawings surviving from ancient civilizations. Tour buses travel from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona, where visitors can choose from hiking, camping, biking, fishing, and boating. Several ghost towns are within an hour's drive of Las Vegas; Bonnie Springs Old Nevada, southwest of the city, is a recreated town that evokes the lawless days of the Old West.
Arts and Culture
World famous for entertainment, Las Vegas is a city where nightlife lasts 24 hours a day and spectacular casino resorts and venues feature international stars. There is also an active and acclaimed arts community in Las Vegas; theater, dance, and concert performances as well as lectures are staged at the Reed Whipple Cultural Arts Center. The center is home to the Las Vegas All-Star High School Jazz Band, the Las Vegas Youth Orchestra, and the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre. The Charleston Heights Arts Center presents theater and musical performances as well as exhibits by local and regional artists. The Community College of Southern Nevada offers dance, theater, and musical performances.
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas, with three performing arts venues, is the heart of the cultural community. The university hosts performances by Nevada Ballet Theatre, Symphony Orchestra, Sierra Wind Quintet, Chamber Music Southwest, and the Charles Vanda Master Series.
The Las Vegas Clark County Library District kicked off a partnership with the Nevada Chamber Symphony for the 2004-2005 season, with concerts scheduled in the Clark County Library on Flamingo Road. The Library District also hosts theatrical, dance, and other musical performances.
Several museums are located in the city. The Liberace Museum exhibits a collection of rare pianos, including pianos owned by Frederic Chopin and George Gershwin. The Nevada State Museum and Historical Society specializes in the natural history of Southern Nevada, while the Las Vegas Natural History Museum focuses on the region's wildlife and natural environment, both past and present. The Lied Discovery Children's Museum offers 100 hands-on exhibits that let children explore science, arts, and humanities in a fun and educational way.
The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in the Bellagio Resort features two to three exhibitions annually, with works from top art museums and private collections. The Las Vegas Art Museum offers more than 170 works from a variety of mediums. The University of Nevada at Las Vegas maintains an art gallery in the Ham Fine Arts Building on campus, featuring the work of faculty members, touring artists, and students. Las Vegas area commercial galleries show the work of local and nationally known artists.
Festivals and Holidays
Las Vegas hosted a year of celebratory events throughout 2005, including festivals, concerts, exhibits, theater, and events honoring the city's history and unique style.
Las Vegas hosts the Antiquarian and Used Book Fair in January. The entire month of May is designated Jazz Month, showcasing local and national artists. Helldorado Days in May celebrate the Old West era with rodeos and parades. The Greek Festival in October features authentic food and dancing. National Finals Rodeo is held in December.
Sports for the Spectator
Las Vegas hosts a number of national sports competitions, including the Michelin Championship golf tournament of the PGA Tour, Seniors Golf, and the National Finals Rodeo. The city also has a baseball team, the Las Vegas 51s, the Triple A farm club of professional baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, who play at Cashmen Field. The AFL's Las Vegas Gladiators play professional indoor football at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Las Vegas Wranglers, members of the ECHL Division, also play at the Thomas & Mack Center. Collegiate sports are represented by the UNLV Rebels basketball team plus teams who play golf, baseball, soccer, football, and women's basketball. Championship boxing events are scheduled year-round in Las Vegas.
Sports for the Participant
Although Las Vegas is in the desert, there are facilities for a number of water sports, including fishing, boating, waterskiing, and canoeing at nearby Lake Mead and on the Colorado River. Las Vegas City parks and Clark County parks continue to be developed to meet the needs of an expanding population; both provide a variety of athletic programming, tennis courts and ballfields, swimming pools, golf courses, community centers, activities, classes, and workshops. Wet 'n' Wild, located on the Strip, is a 26-acre water park that contains water slides, a wave pool, and swimming area. More than 30 golf courses exist in the area.
Shopping and Dining
Shopping center construction is constantly taking place in the city. A major attraction is the $100 million Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, which opened in 1992 and expanded to 675,000 square feet (an increase of 175,000 square feet) in 2004 that brought its entrance to a prominent position on Las Vegas Boulevard. Described as combining the opulence of Rodeo Drive with the glitter of the Las Vegas Strip, the Roman-inspired complex houses about 160 upscale shops, art galleries, and a $5 million animated fountain. The Galleria at Sunset Mall in nearby Henderson features one million square feet of enclosed mall space anchored by four department stores and housing more than 140 specialty shops. Boulevard Mall is Nevada's largest indoor shopping mall with 150 shops. The Fashion Show has seven anchor stores and features "The Cloud," a canopy that is suspended 20 stories over the mall and serves the dual purpose of sunshade during the day and movie projection screen at night. Unusual shopping experiences can be found at the medieval-themed Shopping Courtyard with live jousting between stores and all that is French at the Rue de la Paix center.
More than 750 restaurants with choices ranging from haute cuisine to inexpensive fare, are located in Las Vegas. One such place is Spago, run by internationally-known chef Wolfgang Puck, who uses French cooking techniques to create an eclectic menu. Puck also features a more casual bar and grill within the city bearing his name. In 2004 Bobby Flay, successful chef and star of a popular television show on the Food Network, opened the Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace. Major resort hotels all feature gourmet menus; most hotels on "the Strip" and downtown offer buffet dining. Some examples of the culinary variety available include: AJ's Steakhouse, located in the Hard Rock Hotel; Hard Rock Cafe, residing just outside of the hotel; Planet Hollywood, at Caesars Palace; and the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, inside the Paris Las Vegas Hotel that is shaped to resemble the famous French structure.
Visitor Information: Las Vegas Visitor Information Center, 3150 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89109-9096; telephone (702)892-7575; toll-free (877)VISITLV